“There’s a hpou (a child’s toy), tayat ywa (mango leaf) and mout paung (sweets).” Pausing in her list of euphemisms, Dr Thet Su Htwe leans in to the microphone. “And even samosa,” she adds. At this, the rapt audience of young women gathered at her workshop shrieks and bursts into chatter.

“Why are we still afraid to say the word ‘vagina’?” the doctor asks finally.

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Talking about vaginas – not to mention sex education – is taboo in Myanmar. But it became the focus of discussion two months ago when The Vagina Monologues – a play of 18 stories about women’s experiences and their vaginas, exploring issues of menstruation, gender roles, relationships and gender-based violence – was performed for the first time in Yangon.

Su Htwe usually keeps a low profile, but for one weekend, as she was invited to speak at the performances, her sexuality and reproductive health classes came to the fore. She warned that if people cannot even bring themselves to talk about vaginas then women’s rights will not improve.

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In Myanmar, sexual and reproductive education technically exists on the curriculum in state schools – but a combination of teacher ignorance and embarrassment means that little is actually taught.

“Parents and teachers think that if you teach sexual education you will encourage kids to become sexually active, so there is a big education gap,” Su Htwe says.

She founded her organisation, Strong Flowers, which provides reproductive and sexual health education services and resources, in 2016. Su Htwe teaches in schools and community centres, and across religions.

“At first I was worried that people might say ‘this Muslim lady is talking about sex’; no I’m not talking about sex, I am teaching about sexuality, our bodies, consent … I was worried people would be confused and think I am doing something that is not good for the society, or for religions.”

Women’s rights are also slow to progress in Myanmar. Despite five years of debate, a law that criminalises violence against women still has not been submitted to parliament.

Participants attend Su Htwe’s classes for a variety of reasons. Aye Aye Tint, 33, was interested to learn more about health: “I learned more than just the dos and don’ts about my health, like if a husband has a sore on his private part, he should openly tell his wife to prevent the disease.”

“I also learned about how couples should behave, not just personal hygiene,” she said.

After the workshop she said she shared the training with her single and married friends, “they told me they should have attended the training too, because they need it and don’t even know things like the different parts of the uterus”.

Twenty-four-year-old La Min Ko from Myeik, in southern Myanmar, who attended one of the classes led by Su Htwe, said: “Before the training, to be honest, I didn’t think the subjects were so important for us. But I learned so much about gender equality, human rights, emotional intelligence and sexuality.”

Su Htwe learned that it was different for girls at a young age. After puberty, her mother forbade her from running out in the streets with her friends.

“I was told I can’t wash my hair or eat spicy food like lapet tho (tealeaf salad), or else it would cease my menstruation,” she said.

“When boys and girls enter puberty, the space is narrower for girls and wider for boys. Boys are told they have to get ready to lead the family and study hard, and for girls going outside is dangerous, we are told anything could happen to you at any time – violence, rape or sexual harassment on the streets.”

At first I wasn’t sure whether to call it just reproductive health, as to use the word sexuality might scare people

Dr Thet Su Htwe

After finishing school she became a doctor and volunteered at the Muslim free hospital. Again she realised the relationship between cultural gender expectations and treatment of women.

When she was preparing to get married, another tipping point occurred. She was passionate about working as a medical doctor and did not want to give up her profession, despite the cultural expectation in Myanmar that a woman should give up her job and dedicate herself to family life.

After raising the topic with her husband, she was surprised to hear that he was supportive of her choice. This confirmed her belief that it was her responsibility to educate people about women’s rights, challenging cultural expectations, and she believed the best way she could do this was through education.

Su Htwe’s first class was not in any of the big cities, but rather in a small village outside Yangon.

She divided the group into two classes, one for women and one for men, for anyone aged 16 and upwards.

“At first I wasn’t sure whether to call it just reproductive health, as to use the word sexuality might scare people or make them reluctant to come.” After a friend told her to believe in herself and be bold, she explained all aspects of her class to the local community leaders, and they welcomed it.

Myanmar has experienced rapid economic growth, but women’s rights are slow to progress. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

Her first supporter was an older male farmer harvesting chillies at the time of the class. “He said he could only give two days for the class, but because he thought it was important to talk about our bodies he would encourage his wife and daughter to come to the classes too.”

To illustrate how poor knowledge is, she reveals how many women have been using the emergency contraceptive pill for regular use.

“I kept on being asked about where they can buy the three-day pill, but I said I didn’t know what they meant, then they described that you can take one pill and have sex for three days without getting pregnant,” she said.

Su Htwe believes education is the first step to building respect for each other’s bodies, learning about the similarities and differences, leading to respect for women’s rights: “We need to educate women, what are your rights? And raise awareness, not only among women but nationwide, and among men.”

She hopes training for teachers in teaching life skills, sexual health and respectful relationships, will improve. “We can’t do this with just one talk, we also all need to work together.”

This article is part of a series on possible solutions to some of the world’s most stubborn problems. What else should we cover? Email us at theupside@theguardian.com